Mechanical telephone



(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. W. CLARK.

MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

(No Model.) 3 Sheetswheet 2.

J. W. CLARK.

MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

No. 289,620. Patented. Deo. 4, 1883.

(No Model.)

l 3 sheets-sheen 3. J. W. CLARK.

MEGMBIIGALY TELEPHONE.

-Patented 1360.4, 1883.

NITED STATES yParisist JAMES WILSON CLARK, OF ETN A, OHIO.

MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,620, dated December 4, 1883.

Application filed April G, 1883.

T0 @ZZ whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, .Mains WiLsoN CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Etna, in the county of Licking and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Telephones, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of mechanical telephones in which the vocal line, connected at each end with the diaphragm of a receiving and transmitting device, is adapted to operate a signal.

The objects of my invention are to improve the means for rendering the slack of the vocal line taut while conversing1 and for slackening it, to avoid the hissing sound when not in use, which are described in Letters Patent of the United States granted to me January 6, 1882, under No.V 258,891; and my improvements consist in matters of combination and of construction by which these objects are vattained, together with certain other matters of improvement, which will be made the subject of specic claim. These means are hereinafter sp ecically set forth in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a view in perspective of the transmitting and receiving device of a mechanical telephone embracing my invention, the speaking and hearing parts being drawn out, to tighten the vocal line for signal and for conversation; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, showing the speaking and hearing part as shoved in or closed, to slacken the vocal line and cut off the hissing sound and communication by signal; Fig. 3, a vertical section taken at right angles to the section-line of Fig. 2; Fig. Li, perspective view of the roller over which the vocal line passes to insulate the vocal line from a corner or other obstruction; Fig. 5, a view of the angle-insulator of three single insulators, for use where the vocal line is turned from a straight course; Fig. 6, a view of a single insulator as supporting a straight vocal line; Fig. 7, a detail in section of the insulator-sheave proper; and Fig. 8, a sectional detail of the lever-connection with case c, and with the side slides, n, of the sliding and hearing part B.

As in my patent above mentioned, the instrument is composed of a box, a, or framework tixed to the wall, as shown, within which (No model.)

] a speaking and hearing part is adapted to slide, and which has the diaphragm c, to which the vocal-line wire d is attached by a flexible section. This box or framework a carries the signal device. The speaking and hearing part is of a different construction, and is adapted to have a limited horizontal sliding movement by different means; but it is for the same purpose as in my said patent-viz., to tighten the line-wire d when drawn out for signal and for conversation7 and to slacken the line and shut off communication and the hissing noise when the conversation is finished. l In this preferred construction the speaking and hearing part b is operated to be easily and conveniently slid out in a line, preferably horizontal, by means of a hand-lever, A, operating a guide-frame, B, movable in guideways C in the side vertical walls or supports of the fixed box or framework, and to which the cover B (having the hearing and speaking orifice c and diaphragm, as in my said patent) is fastened by screws or equivalent fastening devices.

The guide-frame B has on its outer vertical sides guide-pieces inwerking in the guideways C in the box-walls or frame-work, and having mortises7 slots o, or openings at their outer ends, within which pivoted arms D D of a bent hand-lever, A, have their bearings, the said arms being pivoted to the lever at q q, while the hand-lever A is fulcrumed on suitable fulcrums-as, for example, screw-bolts r r-and,where a box is present, passes through slots s s in the bottom of the box. The pivoted arms of the compound lever are preferably bent or curved to their point of pivot with the arms of the hand-lever proper and to their xed bearings at the outer ends of the guidepieces a in such manner as to obtain an easy and preferably a true horizontal inward and outward movement. By moving the hand-lever backward the speaking and hearing or movable part is shoved out and the signal may be given and the conversation may take place, which being iinished, the movable part is returned by the tension of the vocal wire by simply releasing the grasp of the hand upon the lever, it being understood that the lever is held back during conversation.

Suitable signal apparatus is to be employed, and preferably the signal apparatus is substantially the same as that set forth in my pat- IOO of the wire clearer than otherwise.

ent above referred to, and consists of a gong, l looped and tied by the suspending-wire H,

k, upon the top ofthe box, adapted to be struck by a bell-hammer, i3, carried by a rod, z', passing vertically through the fixed case, bent at the top, to bring the hammer in position to strike the gong, and bent also' at the bottom, to engage or disengage with a hook or catch, j, upon the end of a lever, f, proj ecting through an opening in the bottom of the xed case and passing vertically through the case and supported upon a spring, m, in the back wall of the case, and pivoted att upon a bed, t, in a prolongation, u, of the said case. This lever also has a middle hole, o, below the spring m, for the passage of the flexible cord-section h, as in my said patent.

The operation of signaling is as follows: The bottom bent end, i2, of the hammer-carrying rod z' is disengaged from the catch j on the bottom projecting end of the lever, and this projecting end of lever f pressed back as far as possible and then quickly released, when, by reason of the spring m, the lever flies quickly back and strikes the bottom g of the flexible cord, and operates the lever which is in engagement with the rod fi of the instrument at the other end of the line, and gives the signal at the other end. Then, for conversation, the handle is pressed down or back, as before described. Vhen inished, thebottom bent end, ft2, should be again connected to lever f, so as lso receive a signal from the other end of the When it is necessary to run the line from the instrument up to the cornice to get above the street, or to keep it from any projection, or to make an acute angle, I provide a wooden sheave, F, for its reception, said sheave being j ournaled in lugs of a cast-iron bracket-base, G, Fig. 4, which latter is fastened to the wall or cornice by screws in its elongated projection. This cast-iron base, by reason of its weight, holds steady and makes the vibration The linewire d, as a rule, requires adjustment at intervals of two or three months. This I effect in a moments time by means of a wire insulator, H, inlaid with leather sheaves I, through which the line-wire may pass, and within which it is supported.

For a straight line I use single insulators,

'as shown in Fig. 6,' but when the line has to turn a sharp angle I suspend two or more insulators, H I, from a bow, K, of metal or suitable material, as shown in Fig. 5. The lever I prefer to make in the form of a bail, so as to be pivoted to the sides of the fixed case, nd operated by a cross-handle, as shown in ig. l.

Fig. 9 represents a vertical section, showing the speaking and hearing part extended from the fixed part, and Figs. l0 and l1 are details of the lever-connection with the lineconneeting part.

p Referring to the insulator for the line-wire, it will be seen that the leather bearing for the line is a piece of leather pierced at the ends,

which, passing over the outer side of the loop I around the bend, passes also through the 7o pierced ends, and thus ties the ends of the leather loop, and is twisted from thence to its connection with the bow K, so that the wires H serve to bind the ends of the insulator-loops I, and to suspend them from the suspended bow. The adjustment of the line-wire, when it becomes slack, is made by taking up its ends at the connection with the flexible cordsection h by drawing it through the insulator leather loops. The bearing-loops are lapped ilatwise and the bearing of the line-wire is in the direction of the width of the loop, which is re-enforced by the tie made by the suspending-wire over and through the ends of the leather loop. This gives a full surface-bearing equal to the width of the loop and effectually prevents the cutting the wire and requires no re-enforcement of the loop, such as would be necessary if the wire passed only through a slit in the leather insulator.

I claim- 1. In a mechanical telephone, the combination of the fixed case and the line-connecting part, adapted to have a limited movement within the iixed part or case,with a lever suitably fulcrumed to the xed case andI pivoted to the movable part, and having a handle whereby it may be operated to extend the movable line-connecting part in relation to the fixed part, substantially as described, for the purpose specied.

2. The combination, with the line-connecting part and a suitable guide-support therefor, of a divided lever, A, fulcrumed within said xed support, having an outside operating-handle and side arms, D D, pivoted to the inner ends of the lever and centrally to each side of the line-connecting part, substantially as described, for the purpose specied.

3. In a mechanical telephone, the combination, with xed frame-work case or box a, having the guideways C in its inner vertical walls or supports, and slots or openings s s in its lower side, of an inner frame, B, provided with guide-pieces n on its sides adjacent to the iixed case, the line-wire connecting said movable part, and a compound bent hand-lever of two pivoted parts, AD D, one of which is pivoted to the iixed case and the other to the line-connectingpart, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

1l. In combination, in a mechanical telephone, the fixed case a, the movable line-connecting part B, the line h d, the divided lever A, fulcrumed in the fixed case, and the side arms, D D, pivoted to said lever and to the line-connecting part, the said line-connecting part being adapted to have a limited movement upon centrally-arranged guides of the fixed part, all constructed and arranged for use, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5. In an acoustic telephone, the combination, with the line-wire, the looped lapped IOO IIO

IZO

leather insulator I, and the suspenson-wire H, Intestmouy whereof I have hereunto set my looped over the leather lapped insulator,pass hand iu the presence of two subscribing witng through its lapped ends and twisted, and messes.

the loow K, whereby the insulating-loop forms JAMES VILSON CLARK. 5 a wide bearing for the wire7 is re-euforeed, TWitnesses: tied, and suspended by awire twisted to make J. VM. STREHLI, the loop-tie7 as shown and described. W. N. GHAMBERLIN. 

